


He built it.

by impulsereader



Category: Cabin Pressure
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-19
Updated: 2012-10-19
Packaged: 2017-11-16 14:45:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/540602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/impulsereader/pseuds/impulsereader





	He built it.

**CLUNK**

Carolyn’s head jerked up from her book, her mind automatically categorizing ‘clunk’ as a fairly normal Arthur sound; worthy of noting but not alarming on its own. She went back to the explanation of how the dinosaurs could never possibly survive on their own if ever they were to somehow escape the island.

After a few more pages, there came another **CLUNK** which was followed by a **BANG** and a subsequent _squelch_.

Carolyn considered this sequence. Still within normal Arthur parameters, she decided; there might be some clean up involved, but not the A&E. She resumed reading.

She was just getting to a really good bit when she heard an outraged **SQWACK**.

Right. Time to step in.

“Arthur dear,” she called as she walked down the hall, “what are you up to in there?”

“Mum! Come see! I’ve built a parrot!”

“You’ve built a what? You don’t build parrots, Arthur, they’re hatched from eggs.”

“Yes I know, but I didn’t have an egg so I decided to _build_ one instead. Isn’t he brilliant?”

And…there really was a parrot in Arthur’s living room. Carolyn blinked at it. It blinked back at her. It was a handsome bird with colourful plumage and a lovely yellow beak.

“Sqwack,” it said. “Polly wanna cracker!”

“Oh!” exclaimed Arthur, “OK! Just hang on, I’ll be right back!” He scampered out of the room.

Absolutely gobsmacked, Carolyn stared at the bird.

The parrot ducked its head, almost as if it were embarrassed because it realized that by all rights it really shouldn’t have been there. It shuffled from side to side a bit; it was perched on the back of the sofa.

She didn’t even know where to start.

Arthur had built a parrot?

Surely not.

Carolyn looked around the room, knowing there had to be some other, very simple, explanation.

There were no open windows.

There was no one else in the room.

She looked back at the bird.

She wondered – no, no that would be silly.

She looked around the room again.

There didn’t seem to be any other option.

She took a breath.

“Where did you come from?” she asked the bird, speaking slowly and clearly.

It let out a wolf whistle, and Carolyn startled.

Arthur came running back into the room, a packet of crisps in his hand. “We’re out of crackers, but I’ll go out and get you some straight away! While I’m gone you can have these.” He tore open the packet and carefully placed a line of crisps along the back of the sofa. The parrot delicately pecked at the first one and proceeded to eat it, using its beak and one of its feet.

“We can keep him, can’t we Mum?” Arthur looked up at her with pleading eyes.

“But Arthur, where did he come from? If he’s someone else’s bird we have to give him back!”

“No! I told you, I built him! That’s what’s so brilliant! He’s like a plasticine pet but better because he talks and everything!”

“But Arthur, you can’t have done. You cannot build a parrot.” Feeling ridiculous, she elaborated, “In order to get a parrot you need parrot parents.”

Unconcerned, Arthur shrugged. “But I did.” He beamed at the parrot, who was shuffling forward, eating the crisps one by one. “He is brilliant, isn’t he? And we can keep him, can’t we?” He looked up at her again, eyes still pleading.

Carolyn threw up her hands. Long experience had taught her when she wouldn’t be getting any more sensible explanation out of her son. “Fine! But you’ll have to post flyers to be sure no one has lost him.”

“But Mum, I told you -,”

“Yes, I heard you, you built him. Fine. But you’ll post the flyers anyway,” she stated firmly.

Arthur smiled indulgently. “All right, Mum. I’ll put him on a leash and take him with me.” He put out his arm. “Come on Tiddlywinks, let’s go get you some crackers!”

Carolyn watched as the parrot stepped onto Arthur’s arm and the two of them left the room together.

She sighed. Dealing with Arthur had long ago stopped giving her headaches, but there was a bit of pressure building at the moment. If Arthur had somehow gained the ability to make animals magically appear, she was in real trouble. She really hoped there was some other explanation for the parrot.


End file.
